Your favorite classic Christmas films?...

[DanielJones]

Or Danny Kaye & Vera Ellen doing their dance number down in Florida.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Phog Allen]

All great choices. From the past, Holiday Inn. My favourite is A Christmas Carol(Dickens is so timeless) but not the 1951 Alastair Sim version. I know heresy. My favourite is the 1984 tv adaptation with George C. Scott as the famous mizer. He was so believable that one has a hard time separating him from the role. This is available on video. Watch it sometime, it's excellent. BTW, Bing Crosby kicks arse!

 

[Doctor Strange]

I'm also a big fan of the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol. Scott is such a compelling Scrooge that you never notice that he's the only American in an otherwise all-British cast! And what a cast: Frank Finlay, Edward Woodward, Roger Rees, Susannah York, and - for a special treat - David Warner playing the good guy for once, a classic take on Bob Cratchet!

But I loved the old 1951 version for years before the Scott version premiered in 1984... I think of the Alaistir Sim version as the best *b/w* one, and the Scott version as the best *color* one! Oh, and the Mr. Magoo cartoon is mega-classic too...

 

[DanielJones]

Bah! Humbug!

I remember that one. One of my childhood favorites.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Senator Jack]

Hands down - Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

All right, the soundtrack is pretty good, but aside from that, an 8 year old Pia Zadora gives a middling performance.

Remember the Night is great for Stanwyck and MacMurray but though it takes place during Christmas, I can'r really claim it's it's a Christmas movie. Indeed, I went to the theatre in May for a Preston Sturges festival and it didn't seem very Christmasy to me.

The Alisatair Simm version of A Christmas Carol is by far the best.

Does anyone remember "The Christams that Almost Wasn't' with Rossano Brazzi? I haven;t seen that since the matinee when I was a kid.

And wasn't there an animated Christmas movie about a cricket from the 30's/40's? I remember going to the matinee as a kid and seeing this but I don't think it was "A Cricket in Times Square" by Chuck Jones.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Senator Jack]

You can tell by all the above spelling errors I've been drinking

 

[Stiff Collared]

Christmas in Connecticut

I got the DVD today, amazing print for a 60 year old film, and it has the original trailer too. Let's hope that they will soon release that other great Stanwyck Christmas film, Remember the Night on DVD.

 

[DanielJones]

Holiday Inn

Popped in Bing & Fred last night to get the holiday season kicked off right. What a fun movie.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Doh!]

I'm still a sucker for "Wonderful Life."

Last year, I watched it with my friend and his German girlfriend, and she had never seen it before. It was kinda cool watching her reaction to a classic American film -- she was sucked in immediately.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Well, fellows, i have to say Home Alone.

Whaaaaaa? You ask.

Excellent story. It has everything. Think about it.

bk

 

[whistlebait]

I really like A Christmas Story,How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and of course, The Charlie Brown Christmas Special. All shown at least once a year, how could I be disappointed.

 

[Rigby Reardon]

As soon as I saw the thread subject, four movies popped into my head...
...and DanielJones, you nailed all four in your first post!

Thinking hard, I came up with a fifth...which you nailed a couple posts later. Obviously you and I are going to have to sit down some Saturday and watch movies.

The only thing I could add, then, would be: SCROOGED!
http://imdb.com/title/tt0096061/

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

I really like the old Christmas Carol movie, it is great. Mickey's Christmas Carol is also good. Scrooge McDuck is just hillarious.

 

[jake431]

Since many of the previously named titles are on my list, I thought I'd simply add to it with a new one. Elf. I think it is quite a good Christmas movie in the old Christmas movie tradition. (Don's flameproof suit) Fire away folks!

-Jake

 

[Twitch]

Die Hard- 1988,actually IS a Christmas season film.....

 

[DanielJones]

TCM this Sunday

TCM played Christmas in Conneticut and A Christmas Story this last Sunday. Both are quite fun to watch. I especially enjoy Christmas on Conneticut for it's commedy of errors. Made for an enjoyable weekend.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Andykev]

Great films for Christmas

I watched "Holiday Inn" with Fred Astair and Bing Crosby. Typical 1940's plot, and acting. The dress, songs, and dancing are splendid.

My favorite Christmas movie? "It's A Wonderful Life", and "A Christmas Story".
And "White Christmas" (Bing and Danny Kaye), and "Bells of St. Marys"(Bing and Ingrid Bergman).


Hey kid, don't shoot out your eye!

 

[BixChix26]

forget WHITE CHRISTMAS!

--- it's a gaudy Technicolor nightmare compared with the sheer black-and-white CLASS of HOLIDAY INN! And Danny Kaye pales in comparison to the stylin' Fred.

And speaking of Bing, how about GOING MY WAY? Not totally Christmas, but bringing Barry Fitzgerald's mom to visit him from the Auld Sod is sure to raise a tear.



Laura

 

[Virgil Ante]

This is a great thread

I'll have a hard time coming up with some that aren't already mentioned, but I'll try. How about "Battle of the Bulge", i particularly like that one. Didn't the Airborne guys get rescued on Christmas day?

I also like that Batman movie with the Penguin. (Keaton & DiVito) Oh, Michelle Pfifer was really good too.

There is a TV movie called "The Crossing" about Washington crossing the Delaware river that I like too.

 

[DanielJones]

Another one to add would be Boys Town (1938) with Spencer Tracey & Mickey Rooney. Another couple to add would be Bells of St. Mary (1945) & Miracle of Bells (1948). And it wouldn be complete without the two current offerings of the Santa Clause with Tim Allen. Personally I kie the second better than the first.

Happy Holidays!

Dan